Woman sues council for crash as cash pay outs made over damage caused by WHEELIE BINS in Cambridge revealed

It’s official: Recycling is dangerous after residents made 30 claims to the city council for damages caused by – wheelie bins.

The rise of the big plastic containers on wheels – which replaced the smaller metal dustbin used up until the late 1970s – has brought its own hazards, the News can reveal.

Cambridge City Council has paid out a total of £5,358 in compensation over wheelie bin blunders and accidents since 2009.

One woman blamed the council’s wheelie bins for a crash, claiming she had to swerve to avoid one in the middle of a road and drove into a lamppost. But the woman lost her bid for compensation.

In one incident the council paid out a bin load of cash after a claim a metal bin damaged a door to a rubbish compound and had to stump up £1,367. Another pay out was made for £1,314 after it was alleged a car was damaged by a bin.

In another incident it was claimed a dustman moved a wheelie bin unaware a bike was chained to it and it was alleged it caused damage to a parked car. No money was paid out.

The council said that in another incident: “Our operative took the bin off the lift and slipped on stones and pulled the bin behind him causing the bin to hit a parked car.” The victim was paid £588 for the slip.

Another £882 was paid out after the claimant accused council workers of hitting his vehicle with a bin.

And £771 was won in damages after binmen moving trade waste damaged a vehicle.

Eight claims were made for damages in 2009 and in 2010 followed by six in 2011, three in 2012 and five last year.

A total of seven pay outs were made out of 30 claims.

A council spokesman said: “All claims are investigated and refuse drivers undertake training every year.”

The city council confirmed the pay outs and urges residents not to “leave bins out after collection or cause other obstructions”.

Waste chiefs ask residents to remove their bins from the pavement by midnight on the day of collection.